


Death Toll XXI

by versatility (orphan_account)



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Bisexual Character, Canon Divergence - :re, Mild Gore, Multi, Post Root A
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-29
Updated: 2015-04-02
Packaged: 2018-03-20 05:59:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3639342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/versatility
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arima makes Kaneki an offer that might just save him and Hide both.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hourglass

"Do you want to save him?"

"It's too late."

"Is it?"

Kaneki cringed slightly at his words, but couldn't make himself to say no.

"Do you want to save him?" Arima repeated.

"Yes."

Their eyes locked and the investigator suppressed a smile as he witnessed what seemed like a part of himself in those solemn eyes.  He really did love him didn't he?  In that moment of staring at the two of them his heart throbbed as memories of his time with Fura flooded over him.  There truly was no way he could kill him.

His eyes closed briefly as he replied, "Good."

-

Sing me a song of the untapped horizon, and I'll tell you a tale of hope arising.  The agreement had been an absurd one at best, but in such dark times as these- It was the only type that worked.  He would have to go through a mild transformation himself, but that's not what he was waiting outside the facility for.  That's not what made his heart throb in anticipation.  His mind absently fluttered back to the conversation that he had had with the doctor after Arima had brought him here.

_"You're procedure will be relatively painless-"_

_"What about Hide?"_

_"If the procedure is successful then his survival will no longer be in question- However, that's when he'll need you the most.  Do you understand?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Don't lose control, and make sure he doesn't either."_

Time seemed to only inch by as his worry grew.

"Hide." he whispered.

_"Let's go home."_

"Don't die." he pleaded into the silence.  "Don't die."

_"Rabbits die when they get lonely!"_

Tears pricked at his eyelids as he considered that perhaps he didn't want to make it...

The door swung open with a heavy thud as the doctor emerged.  Kaneki shot up out of his seat, but before he could even open his mouth he had his answer.

"It was a complete success.  If you want you may go and see him now."

Both of them knew though that he really didn't have to ask.

-

"You're actions were not only direct disobedience, but also rash."

Arima made no response as he stood across the room from the chairman.  His eyes met directly with the other man.

"Tell me.  What justifies them?"

"Our mission is to destroy the One-Eyed Owl and Aogiri at all cost.  Correct?  I believe that they are the best way to accomplish this.  Kaneki-kun's knowledge of them and Nagachika-kun's experience in in-depth reconnaissance of them **will** prove invaluable."

"Sir if I may-" Yoshitoki inserted, and the chairman nodded for him to speak, "I support his decision one hundred percent."

"Very well.  They're all on you now, Kishou."

"Understood, sir."

-

A brief breeze fluttered into the room as the doctor opened the door, and Kaneki entered.  A wide grin spread across the patient's face at the sight of him.

"Yo, Kaneki."

**[ Chapter 2 preview]**

His eyes traced over the two forms lying against one another on the couch. Smiling he closed the door behind him, and grabbed a blanket from the closet. He laid it over them, and then headed for the restroom. ‘You've gone soft, God of Death.’ He thought to himself.

Looking up into the mirror his happiness was suddenly cut short. The thin blood trail dripping from his left eye, and staining his lenses reigniting the horrid pain in his chest. A shadowed form appeared beside him in the mirror. It's Cheshire grin piercing into Kishou's aching soul. It took all the strength he had to not smash the mirror, and instead just look away.


	2. Moon Cake

_Without anyone saying a thing, without his name given- Like an unsolved puzzle falling into place.  Just by seeing that figure, I understood exactly who I faced.  There stood- The God of Death._

_Strangely, I thought he was beautiful._

-present-

There were a great many people who did not approve of Arima’s decision.  Not that it mattered.  He’d been given the chairman’s approval.  Now it was time to keep everything as contained as possible.

_“What was going through your head? - When you decided that they were worth saving.”_

_He stared straight forward keeping completely silent as his superior prodded him.  ‘Did it matter?’ He wondered to himself._

_“It was “him” wasn’t it?”_

_His legs involuntarily froze; he spared an apathetic glance in Yoshitoki’s direction as he realized that he knew him perhaps a little too well._

_“It’s okay to feel something- Arima.”_

-

After several hours it was noted in both their files that their operations had been a success.  Now it was time for them to make the adjustment to their new way life.  They would be out of sight for a while.  Training, maturing.  For them it was all about to change.

“This isn’t exactly what I meant by home.” Hide commented offhandedly.

Kaneki was inclined to agree; his mind drifted back to those last moments when he thought he’d lost him. True, he hadn’t done what he had asked. Though he had had every intention of doing so, before- Ugh; he was acting ungrateful for the second chance Arima had given him.  Had given them both-

“So Arima’s actually a pretty stand-up guy.  Eh, Kaneki?”

A smile slipped over his face as he remembered that Hide was just like that.  The kind of person who sees the best in everyone and everything; the best kind.

“Yeah.” Kaneki replied softly.

“I’m actually pretty starving.  Is there anything to eat here?” Hide rummaged through the refrigerator noisily.

_“About eating-“_

_“As long as your RC levels remain below ~1000 you will be able to eat normal food.”_

_“And if they get above that?”_

_“You won’t have to worry about eating anymore, because Arima will execute you on site.”_

The black haired boy strolled over to his friend, and began helping him with the food.

“Your hair looks natural, again.” Hide noted.

Yeah; he supposed it did.  He recalled how Arima had advised him to do his best to fit in.

“I missed it.” He added.

“Me too.” Kaneki’s smile was brief but, completely genuine.  He was still wary of how it would all go down.

-

Their Kagune are coated in Quinque Steel; a five layer frame serving to prevent total integration.

Arima took a seat at his desk as he continued to review the files on his two brand new responsibilities.  Honestly, what was he doing?  Starting this whole thing on the basis of emotion, that was entirely unlike him.  ‘Damn you, Fura.  Damn you!’  He recalled his reunion with him just before they headed out for the raid.

Their eyes had passed one another, but they didn’t say a word.  He was starting to wonder if it would have been better if he had just spoken to him then, when a knock sounded on the door frame.  After a moment he looked up to see a familiar face standing in the doorway.

“Are you ever going to age?  Arima.”

Standing only feet away was the man he could only recall in memory, Fura Taishi.  His tongue caught in his mouth, and he couldn’t speak.

“I’ll be your partner on the new project.  What do they call it?”  He touched his chin briefly in considered before he lowered his hand and answered himself.  “The Quinx Squad.”

‘Damn that Yoshitoki, too’.  The still seated investigator thought as their eyes locked once again after so many years.  It reminded him too much of the old days.

_“Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?” Fura’s question sounded more or less like a challenge._

_“No.” Arima replied honestly._

_“Then get on.  I’ll give you a ride.”_

_“…” the blue haired youth hesitated._

_“C’mon.  We’re partners aren’t we?”_

_“For the time being.”_

_“Then get on.  It’ll be faster this way.  Less time equals less dead bodies that the ghouls leave behind.”_

_“That was a surprisingly intellectual argument.”_

_“Bastard.  Just get on.”_

_Reluctantly he complied as the shadow of a smile crept over his face._

He indeed would not be able to handle this.

-three years later-

It was near midnight, and after a long day of training Hide and Kaneki had fallen asleep against one another on the couch.  Fura smirked at the sight before heading out the door and toward his own home.  His wife was probably worried sick waiting for him.  Times had become difficult between Arima and himself.  He knew his formerly close friend was doing his best to avoid him; what he didn’t understand was why.

Heading out he failed to consider the one idea that held that unabridged truth.

-

His eyes traced over the two forms lying against one another on the couch. Smiling he closed the door behind him, and grabbed a blanket from the closet. He laid it over them, and then headed for the restroom. ‘You've gone soft, God of Death.’ He thought to himself.

Looking up into the mirror his happiness was suddenly shattered. The thin blood trail dripping from his left eye, and staining his lenses reigniting the horrid pain in his chest. A shadowed form appeared beside him in the mirror. It's Cheshire grin piercing into Kishou's aching soul. It took all the strength he had to not smash the mirror, and instead just look away.

He heard the soft sound of footsteps and his heart took flight within his chest.


	3. Gravestone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m going to apologize ahead of time, because this is not going to be anything like :re. Also, I’d like to note that I’ve decided how many chapters there will be in this series. I hope you all keep reading this.

Kaneki wondered if he was truly cut out for all of this. Over the past three years Hide and himself had worked with Arima to gain mastery and control over their kagune, while Fura provided them with missions to test their mettle. They had proved themselves, again and again. Eventually they had begun investigations of their own and even worked in sync with other investigators. Hide had begun to change a great deal however.

He was more serious, darker; at times he would even comment on how he hated a ghoul they faced or one of the other investigators that mocked them.

"What happened to the guy that saw the best in everyone?" Kaneki once asked him.

"He stopped being naïve." Hide had responded solemnly.

He never said anything about it again. The toll that the CCG took on them both was evident; there only solace came in the form of both Fura and Arima. They’d soften the blow, and sometimes even take the blame. Fura spoke to the human in him and, oddly enough, Arima spoke to the ghoul inside of him. He’d wondered often why that was, before quickly realizing it was better not to deliberate on it.

-two years ago-

The body that tossed and turned at night was still wracked with grief. His soul still unable to accept the loss and the dark circles below his eyes never went away. He sometimes whispered his name into the night. Like a plea to whatever powers ruled the world that he somehow might still be alive.

"Takizawa-kun…"

Houji couldn’t force himself to let go.

-present-

The raid was already boiling to a climax from the moment they had arrived. Hide was a piece of work on the battlefield; his bright eyes shining as he cut through ghoul after ghoul. His mind was clear though, he knew what he had to do. Finding this Aogiri hideout hadn’t just been a stroke of luck after all. From the moment the CCG found it to now, a year later, they had been carefully executing a grueling plan.

It was an honor just to be a part of it really. His spear-like quinque punctured through another skull with a loud pop. Eyes snapping back he couldn’t believe the sight they focused on.

"Seidou-san…"

The former investigator grinned at him and waved decapitated head in his direction before chomping down on it viciously. The awful squish of flesh being devoured rocked him to his very core, and for the first time in a very long time he was enraged. So even someone like Takizawa could become a monster.

-months earlier-

Take me to the river, where I’ll break my back trying to dive in.

A man who appeared to be in his mid to late-twenties sat across from a couple on the subway train. His sea foam green eyes tracing over their bodies as they giggled and snuggled against one another. There was a perpetual smirk on his face that added to smug vibe that came off of him. Dark blonde locks were slicked back along the sides, and cut short. It was obvious from his athletic build and rippling abs that he worked quite often.

His completion was lightly tanned and he had a five o’clock shadow that gave him the ruggedly handsome appeal. Rising from his seat, he strolled over to them and plopped down right up against the female of the couple. Her boyfriend froze and narrowed his eyes on the stranger.

"Hey! What do you think you’re doing?"

The smirk widened and he met the other man’s icy gaze. He leaned in and whispered in the young woman’s ear eyes still locked with her man’s, "Your boyfriends pretty protective- huh?"

His fingers snaked through her hair before he suddenly tightened his grip. He pulled her head toward him before smashing it against the subway train’s wall. Immediately closing the distance between himself and the other man speaking as he did so, "I like that." With that he pinned him against the very same wall and shoved his tongue in his mouth.

-

When the footsteps ceased and a face came into focus time seemed to stop. Hide’s eyes trained on Arima and then on the blood trail still straining his skin.

"You’re bleeding-"

"Don’t say it." His voice was grim, hollow.

"Arima-san."

He closed his eyes briefly before opening them again and focusing on the younger man’s face.

"Nagachika-kun- How well can you keep a secret?"

The consistency of the air seemed to thicken and become coarser with those words.

 

[ Chapter 4: The Tower ]

 

**Author's Note:**

> Series has been canceled.


End file.
